Real Madrid coach José Mourinho spoke after his team’s 3-0 win over Racing Santander, addressing two controversial penalty calls by saying that, “my opinion is that they protest everything. It’s a stadium I really like, a fan base I really like. It has this character, this way of playing the game. They don’t just come to the movies. They don’t just come to watch a show. They come to play, to get involved, to create a very hostile atmosphere for the opponent. But then there’s also the fact that, obviously,
the game is played with passion, and there are a lot of people who don’t know the rules. And to tell you the truth, they change them so often, the little details. People don’t realise that it’s never a penalty on Tchouameni because of the rebound, because the ball came off his body. It’s never a penalty. When the referee called the penalty, I stayed calm because from 60 meters out, I couldn’t see it clearly. But then I watched it on the iPad and said, ‘If VAR isn’t asleep, it’s not a penalty.’ The referee was technically very good, and in terms of discipline, just a couple of yellow cards, and that’s it, in a tough, competitive match. To me, it’s obvious it wasn’t a penalty.”
Mourinho on whether the game was over before half-time
“No… Racing is a very strong team; they’re very competitive. Even when we were down 0-3, there was still danger. It’s a game we could have won 0-4 or 0-5 given the chances we had in the second half, but it could also have gotten complicated, because in the first ten minutes they had a couple of chances with Zabiri, crosses to the near post… If they’d scored one, they would’ve gained momentum. I never considered the match decided. But we did come out strong, playing well and with good judgment, in the face of the high press that Racing put on us, just as they do to everyone who comes here. In the end, it’s an important victory heading into an extremely challenging week.”
Mourinho on Bellingham and Diomande defending well
“But it’s something that exists among everyone right now. Of course, there are players with better physical and tactical attributes for defensive work, but I’ve also seen players who are very committed. The team is growing and playing well. In my opinion, we should be scoring more goals given the chances we create. But we’re improving. When sitting deep, the team knows how to stay compact. I’m happy with the progress. And you’re right that when more offensive-minded players make those selfless contributions, it sends a positive message to the team.”
Mourinho on whether there’s full understanding now
“We’re not quite at 100% yet, but we are growing. Less than four months is a short time, but we’re making steady progress. I’ve come to understand things I didn’t understand on day one; the players understand my character as a coach better, because my character as a person is secondary. They understand the things that are non-negotiable for me. There’s good rapport, so to speak. A good player-coach rapport. We’re in a good place. But… we’ll see this week, because we have two tough games coming up. And each one is important.”
Mourinho on whether the team has clicked
“As I was saying, the team is improving, and the players are also at a high level of confidence. Football is played by men and women. They’re men and women who play football, not ‘male and female players’; the emotional aspect also counts for a lot. When things go well, it seems like they go well for everyone. You make a substitution and bring in Trent, who hadn’t played in a few games, and I do so knowing that against an opponent that presses hard, his technical quality on the break would be better than putting Dumfries in. And he plays an excellent, very balanced game. When things are going well, they seem better than they actually are. But the truth is, I’m happy.”
Mourinho on telling players to celebrate in their own half
“Ah! If they come over to our side, imagine if some smart guy comes along and takes a quick throw-in. These are little things. Because sometimes the excitement makes you lose touch with reality. I’m just trying to give my guys a little something.”
Mourinho on not using all his substitutions
“I’ve seen it all in football. The game isn’t over until the referee blows the final whistle. Also, there are some players who played today but won’t be playing on Wednesday. And in that sense, taking out players who aren’t going to play on Wednesday, so it wouldn’t make much sense. Let me give you an example: Tchouameni isn’t playing on Wednesday. Well, let him play 90 minutes today. It’s a different approach to managing the squad. In your case, it’s ‘controlled match, substitutions.’ And I’ve thought of it the other way around: keeping players on the field who’ll be on the bench on Wednesday. The “gift” LaLiga has given us, playing today and on Saturday, forces us to do this on Wednesday, Against Spanish football, which should want its teams in Europe to win, win, win. Points, points, points. But let’s see if, by making three or four substitutions, we can get the points in Athens.”
